NCAA has approved a couple of rules changes that will have an impact on the college football landscape from the minute they take effect. The most widely heralded change will allow athletes to transfer with having to obtain permission from their schools. 

Perhaps the bigger overarching rule that was adopted by the NCAA Division I Council earlier in the week was a new “notification-of-transfer” model. This essentially takes the school’s power out of the decisions of where a player can and can’t go by allowing a player to simply inform the program of a desire to transfer. In turn, the player’s name will be added to a national “transfer database” which allows coaches from other programs to contact that player without restrictions.  – College Football Talk

There is a catch. Conferences can still enforce their limits on an athletes ability to transfer.

The second rule change making news this week is the change that liberalizes redshirt qualification. Until now, barring injury, one play in a game took away the possibility of a redshirt. The new legislation will allow participation in 4 games while retaining the possibility of a redshirt. This change will benefit players who sustain injuries after a few games, as well as allowing newcomers to participate and gain actual game experience without giving up a full year of eligibility – indeed a welcome change.

However, would it not be simpler to grant five years of eligibility? After all, if the idea is to benefit players, what about the kid who is injured one play into his fifth game? What about the athlete who develops over the course of his freshman season and is ready to play starting in game nine. If he plays the last four games and a bowl (every team makes a bowl these days, it seems), he uses one of his four years.

Give them five years and be done with it.